Words from the Heart
by A.L. Watanabe
Summary: Chapter three now up! Kyo Sohma’s last day of freedom is just but one week away…And he hasn’t confessed his love for Tohru Honda yet. If Kyo confesses, will she return his love? Will the curse be broken? Will everyone live happily ever after and have
1. Chapter 1

Hi there! This is A.L. Watanabe speaking, and welcome to my first Fruits Basket fiction, _Words From the Heart_. This fiction is is what I think and hope will happen in the last volume of Furuba, and will be around six or seven chapters like the mangas are. If you haven't kept up with the Japanese release of the manga, please let me warn you that SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!!! I hope you all enjoy it, and please R&R! Thank you so much!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any other related characters. All of them are property of Natsuki Takaya, and have been converted into English by TOKYOPOP.

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**Words from the Heart: Chapter 1**

_One more week..._

Kyo Sohma sighed with frustration as he watched all the students of Kaibara High School run about the building, paper flowers flying everywhere. There was one more week left until the third years graduated, and everyone was making preparations. This year, although, was different. The graduation preparations were for _him_. He, Tohru, and Yuki were three of the many students who were going to be moving on with their lives and putting high school aside. But, the fact that school was ending wasn't the thing that Kyo was perturbed about. He, in truth, wasn't bothered by that at all. He was bothered by Akito, and his stupid orders. Right after he graduated, on that night, Akito was to have him locked up forever, away from everyone. He no longer would be able to breathe fresh air, or do whatever he pleased. And he no longer would be able to see Tohru's smiling face everyday.

At that last thought, Kyo clenched the off-white paper in his hands.

Down the hall, Tohru was seen holding a large cardboard box filled with paper flowers. Kyo saw her and stiffened. He couldn't let her see the troublesome look on his face. If she was to see it, she would be pestering him all day to tell him what was on his mind. At this point, Kyo wasn't too sure if Tohru knew about his imprisonment at all. What if she did know about it? It seemed like it didn't bother her at all, then. Maybe she didn't care. Maybe she felt it would give her a chance to warm up to that damn rat. Or, maybe, she was breaking up inside. After all, this was Tohru he was talking about. She never let anyone know her troubles, but still...

Tohru saw Kyo leaning against a row of lockers, staring at the ground. She fastened her pace and began to jog to him, calling out his name. "Kyo-kun!" Kyo heard her voice and his head shot up. He turned it to see her running to him, a large smile glued to her face. Lately, she had been giving him that smile a lot. Her smile had always melted his insides, but this one took the cake. This smile had made his hands tremble. This smile made him yearn to hold her, kiss her, and love her. But with his cowardly antics, he could only return it with a bashful smile of his own, or a flirtatious gesture of touching her hair or attempting to caress her cheek.

As Tohru got closer, her smile grew wider. Kyo felt a smile creep onto his own lips as he straightened himself up against the lockers and smoothed the paper he had crumpled up. He was going to make a flower or two, just to show Tohru that he was trying to help out with graduation. Last year, he didn't really care about making graduation flowers...He wasn't graduating. But now that he was, it was a little hard to make flowers with imprisonment on his brain.

"Kyo-kun! H...Gaaah!" Kyo watched as Tohru stumbled and fell on her face right before his feet. The paper flowers that were in her box now flew all over the school hallway. Passersby ran passed them without concern for Tohru's fall. Inside, Kyo wanted to help her up, but something held him back. He gently kicked her in the shoulder, causing her to pick up her head. Her face went from bright and happy, to red woozy. "Geh..." Tohru wheezed. Kyo felt a trickle of sweat run down his face. What if she really had gotten hurt?

"Watch where you're going next time," he lectured. He held out a hand to help her with, and she thankfully accepted it. Once she was on her two feet, she brushed off the front of her skirt and took the cardboard box Kyo picked up for her. "I'm sorry, Kyo-kun!" she shrieked, shutting her eyes tight. Did she expect him to spank her? What's the matter with her? She was crazy for apologizing! Kyo slapped his forehead. "Ugh, Tohru, you don't have to say you're sorry for everything you do!" He hesitantly opened his mouth to say something else, but snapped it shut. "O-okay," Tohru replied. Kyo bent down and began to pick up all of the paper flowers she dropped. Once the amount of flowers had exceeded the amount his arms could hold, he would drop the bundle in the box and repeat the process. Tohru mimicked and did the same.

Once they were finished, Tohru suggested that they go back to class to help the other students with the preparations. Kyo barely nodded and they both made their ways down the hall, towards class. At the corner of his eye, Kyo shot short glances of Tohru's beaming face. When would he ever tell her? _How _could he ever tell her? He was already selfish enough for wanting her by his side until he got locked up, but wanting her to return his love...How could he possibly think she would? After all, she was a beautiful innocent girl, and he was a monster. A monster in a human body. But then something triggered Kyo's mind to go the opposite way. Maybe she had returned his feelings, being she never seemed to give anyone else that smile. It was so sweet and natural, beautiful and captivating. The thought of that smile made Kyo's knees weaken.

On the other hand, Tohru was doing exactly was Kyo was doing. She occasionally stole a glance or two of him. _How can he be so calm, yet know that he has very little time left to be free? _She thought. Then, she felt tears spill from her eyes and stream down her cheeks. Thinking of Kyo's imprisonment had always made her upset. She would get this large lump in her throat, so big that she found it hard to get air passed it. But now...Now that that day was just around the corner, she felt that lump growing larger every minute. How was she going to be able to go about her day knowing that somewhere, Kyo was in a cold, dark cell, all alone?

She took a hand off the box and brought it down to Kyo's, pressing against it.

At Tohru's actions, Kyo's eyes widened. He returned her gesture by lacing his fingers around her hand, and flashing her one of his rare smiles of affections. She looked up at him, a warm smile grazing her face. The lights from the ceiling lit up her eyes and unmasked the joy and happiness that was there. Kyo held his breath; did she have feelings for him after all?

Down the hall, Yuki was seen walking with two of his student council friends: Kakeru Manabe and Machi Kuragi. Kakeru was telling Yuki and Machi a new joke he had just heard, but Yuki just sighed and shook his head while Machi kept the same melancholy face on. Kakeru was about to tell them the punch line until he saw Kyo and Tohru a few feet away, their hands intertwined together. He smirked. "Well, how about that Yun-Yun?" he said. "Looks like your cousin's got your girl."

"Oh, be quiet," Yuki coldly responded, catching a glance of Machi on his right. "It doesn't matter anymore...I told you she seemed happy around Kyo a lot. You don't have to remind me." Yuki walked ahead of them while Machi clenched her fists and turned to Kakeru. "What's your problem?" she scolded. "Do you always have to annoy him?" Kakeru simply smiled at his half-sister, reassuringly. "Now, now, Machi-kun. Are you sticking up for Yun-Yun?" Machi gave him the death glare as the smile of reassurance drifted off of his face.

As Yuki approached Kyo and Tohru, he couldn't help but smile as he saw the lights of happiness in each one's eyes. They really truly seemed happy together, and Yuki accepted it. After all, he had told Kakeru that he only thought of Tohru as a mother figure, right? He knew he felt nothing else about her. Instead, there was Machi...

His thoughts were drained out by the sound of Tohru's voice. "Ah, Yuki-kun!" She put down the box and waved to him, and he noticed that she hadn't let go of Kyo's hand. He smiled sweetly at her and Kyo only scowled. "Hello, Honda-san," Yuki greeted her. He still hadn't addressed her as 'Tohru' yet. "Where were you going?" Tohru picked up the box, tightening her grip on Kyo's hand in the process. "We were just on our way back to class to help everyone!" she said, cheerfully. Kyo solemnly nodded in agreement. "Why don't you come with us, Yuki-kun?" Tohru offered. "I'm sure it will be a lot more fun with you!"

Yuki turned around to see Kakeru and Machi headed their way. He turned back to Tohru. "Will it be alright if Kuragi-san and Kakeru come too?" She nodded. The three of them walked in Kakeru and Machi's direction, and Yuki gently place a hand on Machi's shoulder. She jumped, banging her head into his chin. "Eh, Kuragi-san? Would you like to come with Honda-san, Kyo, and I to our class? We're going to help them with preparations for graduation." Machi stared up at him. "I...guess," she quietly replied. Yuki flashed a smile at her, one that made Machi's stomach turn. The four began to walk, leaving Kakeru alone. Yuki then appeared by his side.

"You too, Kakeru," Yuki said. Kakeru jumped and squeaked with glee, causing Yuki to slightly chuckle. Kakeru always found a way to make him laugh. The two boys then joined Tohru, Kyo, and Machi, and they all made their way down to class 3-D.

* * *

"Tell me, Shigure," a mellow-toned voice started. "Don't you think it's for the better that the monster is locked up?" Shigure turned his head to face Akito, who was staring blankly ahead. Akito and he were at the main house, sitting on the porch. Tiny white birds, both alive and deceased, sat around them. Some were perched on Akito's slender shoulders. Her violet colored hair hung in front of her face, and her eyes were a piercing gray. This clearly was not a topic she enjoyed discussing, for everyone except she was miserable about the upcoming events regarding Kyo. Shigure only bit his lip and raised a hand to caress her pale face

"Whatever you think is best," he gulped, "is good enough for me, my darling Akito-san." At these words, Akito smirked. She wrapped her arms about Shigure's neck and pulled him close. "Promise me," she whispered, "that you will not help that Tohru Honda in her time of 'despair' for that monster." Shigure put his head down and slowly nodded. He knew he couldn't hurt Tohru, nor Kyo, but he didn't want to disobey Akito. She simply sat, dangled around his neck, ruffling his jet black hair in her long fingers.

* * *

Class 3-D was filled with the sound of chatting students, crumpling paper, and shouts of frustration. Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, Kakeru, and Machi walked into the room to see off-white colored paper _everywhere_, along with paper airplanes flying across the room, and shrieking girls. Apparently, the shrieking girls were the Prince Yuki Fan Club. They all stared at Yuki in awe, and scurried to the floor to begin picking up the papers. Tohru then spotted her two best friends, Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima. She tugged Kyo's shirt, pointed in their direction, and told Yuki that if he needed their help, they would be over with Arisa and Saki in the back of the room.

Pushing her blonde hair out of her face, Arisa's face lit up as she saw Tohru approaching them. "Hey, Hanajima, Tohru's coming this way," she said as she turned to Saki. Saki grazed the bottom her braid with her hand and nodded. "Yes, I could sense her waves even before she came into the room. She also has Kyo Sohma accompanying her." Arisa turned her head as Tohru smiled and waved, and she indeed had Kyo next to her. "Uo-chan, Hana-chan!" she exclaimed. "Tohru, hi," Arisa said. Saki faintly waved, yet they both ignored Kyo. They were beginning to have their suspicions about what Tohru and Kyo did behind closed doors, because it seemed as if a relationship had grown between them. Saki, for one thing, was very jealous of all the attention Kyo was getting and Arisa had found it just down right irritating that Tohru could actually get along with that guy. But then again, if it's what Tohru wanted...

"Well, look what Tohru brought," Arisa said, slyly. "Hey, Kyon." Kyo withdrew his attention away from the window and faced Arisa. "Hey," he mumbled. Tohru tilted her head in confusion and worry. Kyo had been quiet all day. Then again, she couldn't blame him. She bit her lip, knowing that she possibly couldn't help him in anyway. "Kyo," she whispered. "Is there something you need to talk to me about?" Kyo shook his head, along with his hand. "Nothing's the matter. Stop worrying." Tohru slowly nodded, and Arisa and Saki eyed her expression. Their suspicions were growing. Eventually, they would question her about it.

Kyo turned his attention back to outside of the school, staring at the blooming flowers on the trees that stood next to the building. It was spring, Tohru's favorite season. But in one week, she would be miserable. She wouldn't have a nice graduation evening, and she wouldn't be able to enjoy the flowers and the birds and the air...And it was all because of him. How could he let her worry like that? He knew by the expressions she showed him that she was hurting a lot inside. Just maybe...

_Maybe she feels the same way after all._

* * *

Kagura Sohma sat on her bed, weeping. She was crying for Kyo and Tohru, but mostly herself. How had she let herself fall in love with Kyo so easily? She knew...She knew that one day he would be locked away for the rest of his life. And she knew he hadn't returned her love. She was just too stubborn to admit it. It was clear that Kyo had loved Tohru, and that loved him, or so it had seemed.

A stuffed orange cat sat in the corner of her room, a smile sewn onto its face. Looking at it made Kagura's eyes singe. She had bought it just for Kyo...So she could always have a little part of him with her. Kyo always telling her that he didn't love her had always made Kagura consider putting that cat away in her closet or something, but another part of her had told her to keep it there, to wait until the one day he would return her love. But it never came. She always kept up hope, giving him as much love as possible on her visits with him. Now she had lost all hope...Kyo's heart was won by Tohru, and that was that.

"Kyo-kun," she whispered, her voice trembling. She walked to the corner of her bed chamber and took the cat in her arms. She cradled the stuffed animal for a little bit before sitting on the floor and sobbing into its material. "Poor Tohru-kun..."

* * *

I couldn't help the little scene with Kagura...I felt that I had to put her in it! I think she will have a big role in Kyo's imprisonment, possibly in helping Tohru. I also love Kakeru! I had to put him in there, too. I'm also sorry about the commas! I feel that I put a little too much in...I'll try to tone the amount down a bit! I hope you're looking forward to the next chapter, as I will post it as soon as possible! Thanks so much! Until we meet again!

-A.L. Watanabe


	2. Chapter 2

Hello again! Finally, it's the second chapter! A big thank you to the four people who reviewed the first chapter! I'm so sorry it took me a week to update...I kind of got writer's block! Also, the title of this story has been bugging me. I keep thinking, 'It sounds like it has nothing to do with the story!' But it does! The title mostly reflects on the last chapter or two. You know, just like the opening theme 'For Fruits Basket' kind of reflects on episode twenty-six! Oh yes, about the chapters! I'm going to extend this story from just six chapters to about eight or ten!

Okay, now on with the fan fiction! Please R&R, as it would be greatly appreciated!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any other related characters. All of them are property of Natsuki Takaya, and have been converted into English by TOKYOPOP.

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**Words from the Heart: Chapter Two**

It was now the next day, Sunday, and Arisa Uotani stood outside a small coffee shop. She tugged on her hair and inhaled the cool March breeze. She watched a boy pass by on his bicycle, a couple sit on a nearby bench, and birds chirp while sitting on a nearby tree. "Where is he?" Arisa demanded while looking at a flashing neon clock that was being displayed on the side of a large building. "He should've been here ten minutes ago!"

As if he heard her words, Kureno Sohma was seen turning the corner and heading towards the coffee shop. "Finally," Arisa sighed. Kureno saw her and waved, and Arisa smiled and returned it with a wave of her own. "Sorry I cam a little late," Kureno said once he had reached her. "I had to take care of some family matters." Arisa smiled. "Ah, it's alright. You wanna go inside for some coffee now?" Nodding, Kureno smiled and touched her hair. "Sure, I'd like that."

Inside the coffee shop, Kureno and Arisa chose a table. Kureno pulled out a chair, gesturing for Arisa to sit on it. She sat down and he slowly pushed the chair into the table. _Dammit! _Arisa thought. _Why does he have to act this way! He should know by now it always makes me flustered! _Kureno cleared his throat, and Arisa set her attention to him. "Arisa," he started. "There's something I've been meaning to talk with you about..." Just then, he was cut off by an overly cheered woman wearing a maid's outfit. "Hello there!" the waitress greeted them. "Welcome to the In Due Café! My, what a cute couple you two are!" Kureno automatically turned beet red, and Arisa eyed the waitress as if she had three heads. She didn't seem to notice, as she babbled on. "My name's Midori and I'll be your waitress today!" Arisa sighed at the waitress's hyper ness and rolled her eyes. "Oh, joy," she said under her breath.

"Now," Midori continued, taking out a pad and pen. "What would you two like today? Oh, we have wonderful lunch specials! There's the Lunch A special which includes Okonomiyaki(1) and your side choice of a bowl of rice or Udon noodles! The Lunch B special consists of Sashimi with either soya sauce or wasabi! Then, we have the wonderful Lunch C special! Oh, I highly recommend this one! It..." While Midori went on about the lunch specials, Kureno sweat dropped and Arisa pooped a vein or two here. "Eh, excuse me," Kureno politely interrupted. "We just came here for coffee..." Before he could finish, Midori gracefully twirled around their table. Arisa held back the urge to punch her in the face.

"Why, coffee is our specialty!" the brunette waitress exclaimed, clasping her hands under her chin. "You can have your choice of coffee, or even English tea! And our tempting beverages can be served with Gyoza(2), Korokke(3), and even Ramen!" Pondering, Kureno calmly turned to Arisa, who seemed to be having a nervous breakdown in her seat. "Eh, Arisa? What would you like to get?" Arisa gritted her teeth, trying to force a smile. "Coffee and Gyoza will be fine."

Midori shrieked and scribbled the order on the paper. "What would you like sir? Yes, yes, what would you like?!" Kureno stared up at Midori, then at Arisa. Looking at the expression on her face made him chuckle a bit. "I'll have the same thing too, please," he said. The waitress laughed. "Oh, ho ho, yes! But of course! Coming right away!" After finishing her sentence, Midori sped away, leaving Arisa and Kureno to themselves. Kureno couldn't help but laugh at the outraged expression on Arisa's face. "If she comes near me one more time," she said, clenching her fists and teeth, "I swear..."

Silencing her, Kureno leaned over the table a placed a hand over Arisa's scrunched fist. This caused her to forget entirely about the annoying waitress. Instead, she found herself lost in Kureno's two orbs of beauty. How gentle his eyes were when he looked at her...It was almost as if she was seeing another side of him; his warm, compassionate side. Kureno backed into his chair, not daring to let go of Arisa's hand. She slowly released her hand from the fist she had made, causing him to lace their fingers together. Arisa beamed, and felt a warm feeling in her heart, and fluttering in her stomach. Kureno had made her feel so wonderful, it was sometimes indescribable.

"Arisa," Kureno softly spoke. "How long have we known each other? A year, maybe?" Arisa nodded in response. Yes, it was just last year, when she was a second year in high school. She was working at her part-time job as a cashier at a small convenience store, when she saw him walk in. Arisa hadn't paid very much attention to him; she just thought of him as a regular costumer. Once he had paid for his groceries, he had dropped everything. This action reminded him right away of Tohru, and the first time she and Arisa had met. Arisa couldn't help but laugh, and she bent down to help him with his scattered foodstuff. Right there, the connection between them was made. Kureno ended up treating her for lunch that day, and they almost brought their 'date' to a finish with a kiss...But something held Kureno back: Akito.

"How can I forget?" Arisa asked. Kureno's smile widened. "Yes, it was a very memorable day for me, too." He brought his gaze down to the table. The tablecloth was decorated with a tiny floristic design, and there were fake vines side on the sides of the table that draped onto the floor. It gave the table, along with the café, a feminine touch.

_I should ask her now_, Kureno thought. _But...What if she declines? After all, I did refuse to see her for quite sometime after we met. If it wasn't for Tohru bringing us together, I don't think I'd be sitting here with Arisa right now... _His thoughts drifted onward and then stopped to Akito. He had given Akito just about everything he could. He watched her, took care of her, stayed by her side, and hell...He even slept with her. But he knew all along that she had a thing for Shigure. Now that they had become closer, Akito no longer needed Kureno, and gave him the freedom of being able to roam about the gates of the main house, and into the public. This gave him the courage to have Tohru bring Arisa and him together, without Arisa knowing, and he couldn't be happier. They occasionally went out after her job. They went on strolls in the park, he treated her to dinner every so often, and they even a movie sometimes. Without their acknowledgement, the two knew that they had slowly evolved into a couple.

"I was hoping," he continued. "If we could take our relationship a step further...You know, see each other more often. I know that I avoided you for awhile after we met, but there were some disputes in my family," he paused for a moment, and then continued, "that I wanted to take care of. But now, it's all done. I promise I won't avoid you anymore. I just...Want to be with you." Arisa gaped at him as she took in his words. _Me...? _He _wants to be with _me_? But...Why?_

"Kureno-san, I...I," she stammered. She couldn't find the words she longed to tell him. Suddenly, he got up a bent over the table, capturing her lips with his. Arisa closed her eyes and hesitantly kissed him back. Why did she feel it was wrong, yet so right? So who cared if the whole restaurant was staring at them?

* * *

Back at Shigure's house, all was but quiet. Tohru peacefully stood in the kitchen, getting an early start on making dinner, while Kyo and Yuki were fixing a bookshelf, only to Shigure's wishes that they'd repair it for him. If Shigure hadn't begged and pleaded so much before he left for the main house once again, the two rivals wouldn't have been working together at all. They had no intentions to. They both silently assembled each shelve onto its hooks, avoiding the glance they received from one another.

That was until Kyo and Yuki were both carrying a large shelf in their hands, each holding one side of it, and Kyo clumsily dropped his side, causing it to land on his foot. "Shit!" he hollered, his foot throbbing with pain. "What's the matter with you, you damn rat!" Yuki closed his eyes and sighed impatiently. "You're the one who dropped it, you stupid cat. Why would it be my fault if it was your side that fell on your foot? I'm still holding mine, aren't I?" Kyo's hands instantly rolled up into two large tan fists. He stepped forward, in attempt to strike Yuki's face, but instead fell, for his newly injured foot gave out and refused to support his weight. Kyo laid face first on the floor of Shigure's cluttered office, breathing in the fresh smell of polished wood. Yuki turned his attention back to the bookshelf, pretending as if Kyo wasn't even there. After a few moments of silence, Kyo spoke up.

"Why?" He questioned. Without Kyo knowing, Yuki turned to him. He clearly knew what topic Kyo was bringing up, but made it so it seemed he had no clue. "What are you talking about now?" he said back, a tone of fake annoyance in his voice. Kyo sighed and lifted his upper body from the floor, his elbows leaning on the ground. He dug his face into his hands. "Why does it all happen to _me?_ What did I do to deserve this treatment from Akito? Why couldn't he just leave me alone, like he does to the rest of you?" Yuki shook his head and placed down his side of the shelf. "You're not the only one he abuses, you know that. And it's not because of you that you're getting..." He swallowed hard at his next words, his throat burning. "...Locked up...It happens to every cat in every generation, and you're no different. The only possible way that you won't have to face that is if..." Yuki paused. _What if the curse _is_ broken before Saturday night?_ He thought. _What would happen...To Akito, and the rest of us? What about Honda-san?_

"At least...At least you won't have to see my face, right?" Kyo said sarcastically, yet in slightly serious manner. "I know...I know you've probably been waiting for this day a long time, right? Aren't you glad that you'll have _her _all to yourself? Aren't you happy about that? I would expect you to be jumping around right now..." Yuki shot him a stern look. "How can you say that?" he demanded. "Why do you think that just because I hate you I'd be happy about something like this? Well guess what, stupid cat, I'm not. I know how it feels to be closed up somewhere, not being allowed to come out. I hope you know that Akito did the same thing to me, too...But he let me come out eventually. But you...You have to stay there for the _rest_ of your life."

Kyo stared at the floor in shock. _Yuki had been locked up, too?_ He questioned himself. _How...? Why? What did Yuki do? He's so damn perfect! _"You know," Yuki continued, dragging Kyo away from his thoughts. "You should tell her soon." Eyes widening, Kyo's head snapped up at Yuki. He had a dumbfounded look on his face. "Wha...?" Yuki interrupted, "You know what I'm talking about." Before Kyo could say anymore, Yuki started out of the room. "We'll finish the bookshelf later," he said while in the doorway, his back to Kyo. "Take care of your foot now." And he left.

Kyo was left in Shigure's office, feeling guilty, yet shocked. He was guilty about only thinking of himself all the time, and how he always had thought he had the worse in the family. How could he have been so oblivious? _The others have it just as I worse as I do!_ Kyo thought, pounding his fist into the floor. _This is ridiculous! Why do we all have to put up with this?! If the only way I can get out of this is by getting locked up..._Then his thoughts shifted to Tohru. Yuki's voice echoed in his mind. _'You should tell her soon.' _Did he know? Could he possibly know how Kyo felt about her? _'You know what I'm talking about.' _He knew. _But...for how long?_

* * *

It was now evening, and Kyo was still preoccupied with what Yuki had told him. He stayed in his room the whole afternoon after their talk and thought of ways he could actually tell Tohru how he felt. His mind was blank. During dinner, Tohru and Yuki chatted happily about school affairs and about how wonderful the graduation ceremony was going to be. Kyo silently ate his dinner while staring at the table, daring not took look anyone in the eye. He didn't want them to see the nervousness building up in his stare. But what he didn't know was that the whole time Yuki and Tohru discussing this matter, Tohru fixed her gaze on him, a look of worry in her eyes.

The doorbell then rang, and Tohru jumped up. "Ah, I'll get it!" She retreated to the door, and slid it open. "Tohru!" Momiji Sohma shrieked as he threw his arms around her. Then there was that familiar 'POOF!', a cloud of light yellow smoke, and a little rabbit who playfully ran in a circle around a giggling Tohru. "Momiji-kun, what a surprise! We weren't expecting you!" Momiji stopped running and sat down, looking up at Tohru. "I surprised you, didn't I?! Oh, Tohru, where's Yuki and Kyo? Don't tell me they left you here all by yourself!" Tohru shook her head and beckoned for Momiji to follow her into the dining area. "They're eating dinner! Are you hungry, Momiji-kun? I can set an extra plate for you!" Squeaking, Momiji's marble black eyes lit up with happiness. "I am! Yay! Dinner with Tohru!" Beaming, Tohru picked the rabbit up in her arms and headed into the dining area to join Yuki and Kyo. Tohru opened the sliding door of the dining area, only to be greeted by a solemn Yuki. "Hello, Momiji," he said. "I figured it was you who must've been at the door."

Just then, the familiar 'POOF!' returned. In the midst of more yellow smoke, a small dark figure emerged. Momiji was giggling as ran off into the entrance hall to get his clothes back on, passing a redden Tohru, who had her eyes covered. Momiji came back to find Tohru setting a place for him at the table next to Kyo. In the center of the table, a large bowl of rice sat with smaller, yet, identical bowls placed next to it. "Yay!" Momiji cheered. "Rice!" Kyo grunted as Momiji sat next to him on the floor. "Must you always be cheerful?" He gave him a light, yet hard punch in the shoulder, tipping Momiji to the floor. He shot back up, whining. "Waaah!!! Tohru, Kyo's picking on me!" Kyo sighed in annoyance, getting up from the table. "Don't go crying to her!" he hollered. "She's got more things to worry about than you and your damn mouth!" And with that, he stormed out of the dining area. Something else was bothering him besides Momiji, and all three of them knew it. Silence took over the room for quite a few moments, until Momiji broke it. "I...I can understand why Kyo is agitated," he said, his tone of voice now serious. "He's keeping a lot of feelings locked up inside of him, and he's refused to let them out." He now brought his head up and stared at Yuki and Tohru. A small grin grew on his face when he looked at Tohru. "But I don't think some people would know what I'm talking about." Tohru gaped back at him, lowering her head. _No, Momiji-kun,_ she thought. _I think I know what you're talking about._

The three heard the sliding door open in the entrance hall, followed by footsteps. "I'm home," Shigure's voice called. Recently, he had been very serious and never cracked any of his perverted jokes anymore. In fact, the whole family seemed to have been quiet. Well, all but Momiji. Tohru couldn't help but worry if Shigure was feeling sick, but the back of her mind shouted exactly what the problem was. She refused to think about such a topic as that, but often found herself silently sobbing up in her room at night about it. When she was around Kyo, it was often hard to hold back her tears.

"Ha'ri says that Shii-chan's been hanging around the main house a lot, lately...Along with Kyo's father. He's not sure what they're up to, but they've both been visiting with Akito lots," Momiji stated. While he stared at the table, Yuki spoke up. "Momiji...You know?" Tohru stared at Momiji, and then Yuki. _They both know? Does that mean...Does that mean the whole family does?_ Momiji nodded, his eyes glued to the table. "If you mean about Kyo...His father wanted the family to know. Ha'ri didn't tell me why, but when I found out..." He looked up at Tohru, his eyes full of sadness and love. A soft grin grew on his face, and Tohru felt her eyes beginning to water. "I couldn't but think of you, Tohru, and..." He was cut off by Tohru's sobs, and his grin turned into a worried frown. "Wha...What's the matter, Tohru?!" In between sobs and hiccups, Tohru spoke. "I...I know...What's going to happen, M...Momiji-kun...And I'm so scared...I...I don't know...What am I going to do...without Kyo-kun here everyday?"

Yuki put a reassuring hand on her shoulder, and Momiji got up and sat by her side. Little did the three of them know, Kyo sat on the opposite side of the wall, resting his back on the sliding door. His hands were fiercely pulling his hair, and tears were streaming down his cheeks. He had heard the whole conversation.

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(1) Okonomiyaki is a mix between pizza and pancake. Various ingredients such as seafood, vegetables and meat can be mixed with the dough and placed on the okonomiyaki as topping.

(2) Gyoza are dumplings with a filling usually made of minced vegetables and ground meat. Gyoza were introduced to Japan from China. In Japan gyoza are usually prepared by frying them.

(3) Korokke has its origins in the croquettes which were introduced to Japan in the 19th century. Korokke comes in many varieties depending on the filling that is coated with bread crumbs and deep fried. The most common filling is a mix of minced meat and mashed potatoes.

I hope everyone liked this chapter! I'm happy with it since it's longer than the first one. Now, I would like to thank and acknowledge the four people who reviewed my first chapter!

**Hikari Kitten **-Yes...It is really sad that Kyo has to be locked up because he's the cat. Thank you for reviewing!

**Aiko**-Thank you for saying that my fan fiction is cool! I'm so glad you like it! I wish he wouldn't be locked up either!

**CloudedDragon** - Yup! It was revealed in chapters 97 and 98 that, indeed, Akito is a female!

**Poeticpocochichi **- I recognize your name from the Fruity Group on Yahoo! I'm part of it, but I never post! Oh, I'm sorry about the name! I think I've read it before, too. When I came up with this name, it sounded so familiar, but I just stuck with it. I can change it, if you want! Thank you for reviewing!

The next chapter will be up probably by next Saturday...Or hopefully sooner! Thank you so much for reading! Bye for now!

-A.L. Watanabe


	3. Chapter 3

Hey there! I'm extremely sorry about this chapter being a day late, but I had a few distractions along the way! I'm also sorry that it's not as long as the other! I also hope that this story doesn't seem rushed…I kind of think it is!

Okay, well on with the story! Please R&R and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket or any other related characters. All of them are property of Natsuki Takaya, and have been converted into English by TOKYOPOP.

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**Words from the Heart: Chapter Three**

"I think you know why I'm here to see you, Akito-san," Kazuma Sohma said as he stared at the floor. He sat on a red mat which was several feet away from Akito. The room was dimly lit, the only light coming from the opened sliding door leading to the porch. Akito had her back to Kazuma and was lying on the floor. She remained silent as Kazuma went on. "I know it's required for every cat generation to be locked up…But if you could maybe…" He stopped. What was he supposed to say? Just flat out ask not to lock up Kyo? Akito stirred, trying to control her temper.

"Why do you ask such a thing?" she questioned. "You know that him and I made a bet a while ago…If he should beat Yuki then I will allow him to become one of the zodiac…And he will not be imprisoned until his death. But has he beaten Yuki yet? Has he proved he's worthy enough of being part of the zodiac? Why should I allow that _monster_ around here anyway?" Kazuma did not reply to this in fear of starting a dispute between him and the head of the family. He continued to stare at the ground, regretting what he had just brought up. Now Akito was going to begin a tantrum about it.

'_What's the meaning of existence after sacrificing people and their lives?'_ Kyo's voice pounded in Kazuma's head like a drum. _'I have robbed too much.' _"No, Kyo," Kazuma whispered softly. "You're just a boy. You…never hurt anyone…" _'I know no such thing. There's no hope.' _He brought his head up to view Akito, who had now gotten up and was staring down at him. Her eyes looked as if they had exploded, and were burning with fury. "Don't…" Akito said, her voice low and somber. "Don't bring this matter up again…He is to be locked up whether he wins against Yuki or not. It's too late for the monster now."

Kazuma slowly nodded. "I see," he replied as he got up. Bowing, he turned around and headed out of the room. "Thank you for your time, Akito-san. I'll be back soon." Without waiting for a good-bye from Akito, Kazuma started down the hall and into the main room of the house. There, he met up with Shigure. Shigure was well aware of Kazuma's presence and had let him and Akito discuss things privately. Without taking his eyes away from his newspaper, Shigure spoke. "Don't mind me asking, Kazuma-dono, but what were you and Akito discussing?" Kazuma stopped and smiled sincerely at him. "Oh, I'm guessing by now you already know." He sat down in a lounge chair opposite of the one Shigure was sitting in, and placed his hands in his lap. "I understand that it applies to every generation, but can't he be an exception? He's found happiness…Now he has to throw it all away…"

"You mean with Tohru-kun, don't you?" Shigure interrupted. "I know he has; I can see it in his eyes everyday when he's with her." He sighed and put down the newspaper, now looking at Kazuma. "She's changed him a lot…But Akito is only doing this because it's part of tradition." Once again, Kyo's voice echoed in Kazuma's head. _'…He's not my father!' _"Kazuma-dono, I've never seen you like this before. This is having a great effect on you, isn't it?" Slowly nodding, Kazuma sunk into the chair. "I didn't think this day would come so quickly…It was just like yesterday when I took him into my home…Just like yesterday he was smiling and looking up to me as a father."

"They _do_ grow up fast," Shigure said. He picked up the pack of cigarettes that was sitting on the coffee table in front of him, and discarded one from the box. He placed the cigarette into his mouth, brought up a lighter, lit it, and inhaled. "Ah…" Shigure breathed as the ecstasy of the taste flooded into his mouth. The two men were silent for the next few minutes, both listening to the tick of the wall clock and the sound of chirping birds outside. "Shigure-kun," Kazuma said quietly, but just loud enough so Shigure could hear. "Do you know of any possible way to break the curse? Tohru-san questioned me about it around a year ago, and I only told her what I knew." He sighed and continued. "If it could save Kyo…I am willing to do anything to make him happy…"

Shigure rested his elbow on the arm of the lounge chair and placed his chin in the palm of his open hand. "I know you are. A lot of people are willing to put a stop to this, but I'm afraid it's part of tradition. As for the curse…I really can't tell you anything, because I haven't found out myself. Sure, I have my theories, and I have my ways. I'm keen to breaking the curse as much as anyone else who's possessed in this family…But it's not an easy thing. You know, Kazuma-dono. Your grandfather was the last cat. It must've been hard to lose him…" Kazuma cut him off. "No, it wasn't hard. I always said such cruel things to him…I ostracized him, like everyone else did, because he was the _cat_. I thought it was only right…But after he had passed away, I began to realize that he didn't deserve the treatment he received from the family…And once Kyo was born and was possessed by the cat, I knew I wanted to help him. Once his mother had committed suicide and his father rejected him, I took him in because I knew what he was about to face in life. Pretty soon, I began to look at him as my own son, and I felt the bond between us grow everyday. I had always dreaded the day that is about to come, but when Tohru-san stepped into the family and when she accepted his true self, I had hope…I had hoped like everyone else that she could possibly break the curse." _'There's no hope…' _"But now it may just be too late…"

* * *

Tohru, Kyo, Yuki, and all the rest were at school. It was finals week and each of them sat at their desks, huddled up over their tests. Tohru had studied hard, so she was prepared. Yuki had also studied, but Kyo had forgotten about everything. Earlier that morning, Tohru had brought up finals at breakfast. "Are you prepared for finals, Kyo-kun?" she questioned. Kyo blinked and dropped his chopsticks. "Er, finals? When are they?" Yuki had rolled his eyes, and Shigure playfully remarked, "Oh, don't worry, Tohru-kun! I'm sure Kyo-kun didn't forget that your finals started today!" Picking up his chopsticks, Kyo answered shakily, "I-I didn't forget about finals! Only an idiot would! The teachers are nagging us about it so much that it's kind of _impossible_ to forget." But according to him, he was one of those idiots.

On the way to school, Tohru periodically questioned Kyo about whether he forgot about finals or not. Yuki had gone to school early to help the Student Council with graduation preparations, so it was Tohru and Kyo by themselves. "Are you sure you studied enough? At breakfast, you seemed a little uneasy about it all. If you want, you can study from my review packets! Here, I'll give them to you now!" She opened her bag and began to rummage through it. Once she had gotten a hold of the packets she ran to catch up with Kyo, who had shrugged it off his shoulder and continued to walk without her. "Kyo-kun! Here!" When she had caught up with him, she grabbed onto his shirt, bringing him to a sudden halt. Tohru held up the packets for him to take, but Kyo shook his head. "Honestly, you don't have to worry about me," he said with a sigh. "I studied enough. Now let's just go to school or else we'll be late." He continued walking again, leaving Tohru to stand there with a sad look of defeat spread across her face. She still wasn't convinced that he had studied like he said he did.

'_It doesn't matter,'_ Kyo thought. _'Nothing's going to happen whether I pass or not.'_ He just filled in any letter on the scantron, without even reading the question. _'Why does she always have to worry? Now she's probably going to flunk her test because she's probably worrying about me.' _He turned his head around to view Tohru, only to see her looking at him. Her eyes were filled with worry and she quickly looked down at her test when she saw him turn around. Kyo blushed knowing the fact that she was actually staring at him, but he knew that it was only because she was worried.

After an hour, students began to hand in their tests. Those who had finished were excused from their classes and were allowed to walk around the school and do whatever they pleased. Kyo handed in his test and walked out the door, heading in the direction of the back door. He was going to sit on the roof for a little bit…No one would bother to look for him there.

Kyo rested his back on the crude cement that blanketed the school's top. The sun shone brightly and the clouds grazed the light blue sky. The wind blew a sweet breeze onto his cheeks and birds soared overhead. He loved days like this. Sighing, Kyo closed his eyes, crossed him arms over his chest, and took in all of the beauty around him. That was until he heard the sound of slightly clanking metal and looked up to see Tohru's head peering over the ladder. "Ah, I knew you were up here!" She climbed onto the roof and settled herself next to him. Kyo sat up felt heat rise around his body when his shoulder pressed against hers. Damn, why did Tohru always make him so flustered?

"It's such a beautiful day!" Tohru exclaimed, brushing her bangs away from her eyes. "How do you think you did on your finals, Kyo-kun?" Kyo shrugged and placed his hands on his knees. "I don't know…I guess I did pretty well. What about you?" Tohru's eyes lit up. "I think I did good! A lot of the questions were really familiar to me and I answered them quickly! I can't wait to see what I got!" As she chatted on about finals, Kyo sat back and admired her beauty. Her chestnut brown hair flowed down her shoulders and her long bangs cascaded the sides of her face. Her brown eyes twinkled in the sunlight, and her milky white skin glistened with radiance. He wasn't going to be able to see her face after five days, so he was going to take advantage of every little moment he had alone with her.

His thoughts flashed back to the night before, where he sat outside the dining hall and listened to the conversation she had with Yuki and Momiji. She had said that she knew about his imprisonment, and didn't know what she was going to do without Kyo around everyday. Kyo had cried when he heard that, and he stayed in his room all night. He didn't know what he was going to do without her everyday, either. Somehow, Tohru had given him a reason for wanting to live, and he didn't want to let go of that. How did a girl like him seem to control his whole life? When she was content, he felt sparks of happiness inside his body. When she was sad, he wanted to do anything to make that smile grace her face again.

"Tohru," he blurted out. "What do you plan on doing after graduation?" Tohru froze at the question. "Eh?!" What was she going to tell him? That she was going to sulk around the house and cry all day long because he was off somewhere in a cell? "Well…Um…I'm not so sure yet!" Sweat trickled down Tohru's face. _'Is he going to tell me about being locked up?! _She then felt that unwanted lump appear back in her throat. Tears emerged in her eyes and before she knew it, she was getting up and running to the ladder with her face in her hands. She climbed down and ran to a nearby tree, throwing herself onto the ground and scolding herself for breaking down like that in front of him.

Kyo sat in awe as he watched her leave like that. "DAMMIT!" he shouted as he thrust his fist into the ground. He winced as he felt the pain shoot right through it. The knuckles of his fingers began to bleed, and he couldn't move his wrist. _'Great,' _he thought. _'I probably broke my wrist.'_ He got up, gently squeezing his wrist, and climbed off the roof. Whether she liked it or not, Kyo was going to look for Tohru.

He searched around a little bit before he found her crying by a tree. Seeing Tohru cry always shattered his heart, and this time was no different. He trembled as he approached her, his heart pounding tremendously in his chest. Kyo kneeled next to her and placed his non-injured hand on her shoulder. "Tohru," he whispered. Tears began to leak from his own eyes…He knew why she was crying. "Please…Don't cry. You know I can't stand it…It's okay, really."

Tohru lifted her head up, and their eyes locked. Her heart began to beat one hundred times fast than it already was, and she unconsciously put her hand on his injured wrist, causing him to loudly moan with pain. "Oh, Kyo-kun!" she shrieked. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what was thinking, I…" She cut herself off as she saw his hand's condition: his knuckles were purple and stained with dry blood. His wrist was red and swollen. Gaping, she slowly began to caress it with a feather-like touch. "Kyo-kun…Y-your wrist…You should go to the nurse and have her check it…It could get worse!" Kyo brought his good hand off of her shoulder and placed it on her cheek. He mimicked what she was doing to his wrist and closed his eyes, hushing her. "I'm fine. Let me just sit here with you…"

_For the rest of my life._

* * *

Kazuma left the main house around two o'clock. He had told Shigure that he was going to his house to meet Kyo there. Shigure gladly accepted, and welcome Kazuma to spend the night if he had to. When Kazuma got there, the house was vacant, so he waited inside for Kyo to arrive home from school.

After their little 'moment' together, Tohru encouraged Kyo to go to the nurse and have his wrist inspected. It turned out that it was sprained, and the nurse advised him to have a doctor see it as soon as possible. That was no problem…The Sohma family had a doctor already. In the mean time, Kyo was told to keep an ice pack on it at all time to keep the swelling down. On their walk home from school, Yuki questioned him about it and asked him how it happened. Kyo simply told him he slipped while climbing down the ladder from the roof and that caused him to slam his wrist into the railing. Yuki only rolled his eyes and called him a 'stupid cat', like always.

"Yuki-kun, Kyo-kun, would you two like anything to eat?" Tohru asked as she opened the sliding door to the house. The three slipped off their shoes and stepped inside. Kyo noticed that a pair of sandals was at the door as well. _'Shishou?' _Not to his surprise, when he walked into the dining area he saw Kazuma seated at the table. It seemed as if Tohru had already greeted him, for Kyo could see her preparing tea in the kitchen. Yuki was sitting at the table with him, talking about how he can improve some of his martial arts moves. "Ah, hello Kyo," Kazuma greeted Kyo when he saw him walk in. "It's been a while hasn't it? I haven't seen you since your school play, right?"

Yes, it was. Kyo hadn't seen Kazuma since performance of Prince Charming when class 2-D put on the play 'Cinderella'. Back then, Kazuma had cut his hair short, but now it seemed to be growing back. "Shishou…What are you doing here?" Kazuma smiled and rose from his spot on the floor. He walked towards Kyo and placed a hand on his back. "I just wanted to come by and see how you were doing, that's all." Kyo managed a smile and attempted to catch Kazuma in one of his moves, but was unsuccessful. Kazuma had blocked it and shoved Kyo on the floor. Yuki smirked and Tohru came in with the tea. Kazuma sat back down, along with Tohru, and Kyo joined them.

Later that night, Tohru and Yuki studied some more for the finals. Shigure had come home and talked with Kazuma over a delicious dinner Tohru prepared for everyone. Shigure then excused himself and went to his office to resume writing his latest novel, leaving Kyo and Kazuma by themselves. Kyo began to talk about martial arts until he sensed by look the in Kazuma's eyes that something needed to be discussed. "Sorry Shishou," Kyo apologized. Kazuma shook his head. "No need to apologize, Kyo." He took a deep breath. "We just need to talk about something." Nodding, Kyo looked down and his bare feet. Kazuma added, "About Saturday."

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Hope you liked it! I would like to acknowledge the three people who reviewed my last chapter…Thanks a lot!

Genevieve: Thanks so much! I'm glad you like it!

animerockstar: Thanks…But you don't have to do that!

Aiko: Kyoru rocks! I seriously think it's going to end up that way…!

Until the next chapter!

-A.L. Watanabe


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